GENRE
	Music
	DEVELOPER
	Vicarious Visions
	PUBLISHER
	Activision
	NUMBER OF PLAYERS
	1
	WI-FI ENHANCED
	Yes
	DS COMPATIBLE
	No
	BUY NOW AT

Over the past year, a video game war has erupted between the Rock Band and Guitar Hero franchises. This battle will go to further extremes this fall, as Guitar Hero introduces drums and vocals with World Tour. Before that reinvention of the series, however, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith hopes to leave gamers rocking out with only a (plastic) guitar in hand. Obviously, the biggest change-up is the focus on Steven Tyler’s band, with motion capture of the group and menus oozing with logos and nods to Aerosmith. The game, however, still delivers riveting gameplay and solid jams, but the repetitive sound style and a couple of odd design choices hold it back from giving you a sweet emotion.

visuals

The visuals have always taken a backseat to gameplay in the Guitar Hero series. Even so, Vicarious Visions manages to improve the graphics, ever so slightly, with a Wii-specific engine. While characters and environments seem similar to the PS2 brethren, the new animation from Aerosmith is more immersive. The lip-syncing has seen great strides, and players will notice Steven Tyler reacting more appropriately than frontmen in previous games. For example, Tyler will use his arms to point up and down during Love in an Elevator. These small details, along with new camera angles, produce a cinematic effect that will jive well with gamers. Still, we would have liked to see Aerosmith age through the career mode, or have more noticeable differences between each tier.

audio

The music defines each Guitar Hero edition. In that regard, gamers know exactly what to expect with Aerosmith. Living on the Edge and Sweet Emotion evoke nostalgic tunes and fret-tapping goodness at its finest. The problem, sadly, is that the game starts with a couple of weak tiers. Songs like Uncle Salty and Movin’ Out are not too familiar and fail to make much of an impression while playing. In addition, the game oddly does not place the songs in chronological order. The main reason for the title relates to experiencing Aerosmith’s climb to fame, yet players will wait until the next to last play set before recreating Dream On.

The game also contains some weird omissions. Dude (Looks like a Lady), I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing, Jaded and even Janie’s Got a Gun are nowhere to be seen. On the other hand, we are glad to see the awesomeness of King of Rock by Run DMC included in the package.

Overall, however, the playlist falls way short of previous titles. For one, Aerosmith contains thirty less tracks than Legends of Rock. This lack of music could pass if the price lowered accordingly, but instead players are paying $10 more for the full bundle than they did for Wii's Guitar Hero III. A second drawback is the game's lack of musical variety. A great feature of past titles was learning about lesser known, but fresher bands like Fall of Troy or Senses Fail. This title comes up way too short in the diversity department.

gameplay

The music may take a step back for the series, but the gameplay may be at its finest. Aerosmith completely balances the difficulty level. There are no extreme difficulty spikes as with Legends of Rock, with songs like Raining Blood by Slayer. Don’t get us wrong; there is still a considerable challenge. The gradual difficulty progression helps improve your skills at a smoother pace and finally delivers an easy setting that opens up the title to a wider audience.

Past players will be right at home, as the main mechanic stays intact. Guitar Hero focuses on rhythm and timing. Players will use the peripheral guitar to hold the color frets and strum in a timely manner as buttons scroll toward the screen. A successful continuation of notes delivers a combo multiplier and the all-important star power. Nail the notes surrounded by blue stars, and players can tilt the guitar to rock out in a combo-doubling, blue-studded star power sequence to rack up higher points. The only small modification relates to audience clapping when star power is activated.

multiplayer

The multiplayer features of Aerosmith fall squarely back onto Legends of Rock. Players can jam out with a friend locally or online. The local sessions have the advantage of career co-op, as the Wii online portions lack this feature. However, Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection does allow guitarists to see worldwide leader boards, battle sessions and even track stats or start tournaments through GuitarHero.com. Like classic rock, the multiplayer modes still pack an amusing punch.

overall

Guitar Hero: Aerosmith borders on the brink of being an unnecessary edition to the franchise. Yes, there are enhancements that move the series forward, especially in regards to difficulty balance, but the smaller track list, repetitive song styles and resemblance to Legends of Rock leave something to be desired. Those craving something fresh will will have to wait until October with the introduction of Guitar Hero: World Tour. On the other hand, if you need a fix of Guitar Hero, then simply walk this way to Aerosmith. Just don’t expect to be blown away, because the revolution of the franchise is still a couple months away.

7.5/10